Conflict makes many people so uncomfortable that they prefer to avoid or suppress it rather than dealing with it. However, conflict happens in every area of human life, and suppressing conflict may cause more problems than allowing it to develop and resolve itself. Sometimes, conflict can even cause significant improvements for all parties in the situation. Good managers understand the risks and benefits of conflict and know how to manage it when it occurs.

Reasons for Conflict

Conflict happens because people have different beliefs, priorities and interests, and sometimes those interests clash. Sometimes people can resolve their differences without conflict, and sometimes they either can't or don't choose to. Conflicts can occur between individuals or between groups. “Task conflicts” occur when people disagree about the facts of the situation or how those facts should be interpreted or applied. “Interpersonal conflict” occurs when people do not get along on a personal level. “Procedural conflict” occurs when people share the same goals but disagree on how they should be achieved. Conflict often occurs when people feel threatened somehow. The threat may be toward the perceived territory, status, rights, property or value system of the person or group.

Benefits of Conflict

Most people see conflict as an unpleasant and negative experience, and most companies traditionally used a strategy of suppressing conflict in all circumstances. This approach ignores that conflicts can occur for valid reasons. In a “task conflict” about the interpretation of facts, the company could benefit from re-examining the disputed facts. In a “procedural conflict” about the methods used to achieve the company's goals, the conflict could lead to new and superior ways of doing business. Poorly managed conflict can cause delay, harm morale and reduce efficiency across the organization, but intelligently managed conflict can encourage creative problem solving and make the company more adaptive. Companies with effective conflict-management strategies try to see each conflict as an opportunity to improve the relationship and make the company more competitive.

Less Effective Strategies for Conflict

In any conflict, you can try to get your own way completely, you can let the other party prevail, you can ignore the problem, you can compromise or you can collaborate. Trying to get your own way completely only works if you have enough power to dominate the other party. It leaves the other side dissatisfied and resentful, and it only lasts if the power dynamic doesn't change. You can safely use this strategy only when you don't need to have a good ongoing relationship with the other side and those on the other side have no way to prevent you from doing what you want. Letting the other side prevail on a minor issue can help you maintain a good relationship for the future, but if you use this strategy too often or on significant issues you end up in an inferior position. Ignoring conflict works only as a delaying tactic and can escalate the conflict in the long run.

Effective Strategies for Conflict

Because managers have more power than employees, they always have the option of simply imposing their authority or ignoring the employees' concerns. If you use this power too often or in ways that seem arbitrary, you can alienate your work force. Effective managers rely on authority only sparingly and prefer to resolve conflict through either compromise or collaboration. When you compromise, both of you get part of what you want and give up part of what you want. Compromise can resolve a conflict but can also leave both parties unhappy with the results. When you collaborate with the other side, you both try to find a new and different solution that benefits you equally. Collaboration can result in new and creative solutions that satisfy both sides and improve performance. Successful collaboration depends on the ability to listen and truly understand what the other side needs or wants.